Virtual assistants (VA) are all the rage these days. Seems like everyone is recommending a virtual assistant to take care of mundane tasks for you. That way, you can concentrate on the important stuff that makes your business money.
The normal way to have a virtual assistant is to go to sites like Upwork, Virtual Staff Finder or Online Jobs and search around for a low-priced, overseas assistant. Many of these sites charge a fee for hiring your VA. Then there is the ongoing hourly rates the VAs charge.
While sometimes $4-$5 per hour doesn’t seem like a whole lot, it can add up. Many times, these VAs are working for you full time. At least 40-hour weeks. There’s also the challenge of filling up their time with stuff you want them to do.
Don’t get me wrong... many times, these VAs earn their keep. They are capable of all sorts of tasks. There are some tasks, however, that make you wonder if you really need to hire another person to do - especially in this day and age. Some of the tasks should just be automatic.
The Automatic App
There is an app that can be your ‘virtual’ VA and take some of the really easy tasks away from your VA. That way, maybe your VA can concentrate on more valuable tasks, just as you did by hiring a VA.
Welcome to 24me. The app’s creators bill the app as a ‘Smart Personal Assistant.’ When you first look at the app, it seems like just another To-Do List app. Dig into it. You will find it does a whole lot more.
And when you consider that the app is free, you might really like some of the features.
24me has the functions of many of the other digital organizers out there. It can connect easily to whatever kind of online calendar you are using and import all your appointments.
The calendars can be reviewed in a list format, or you can see tasks by a daily or monthly basis, or by a meetings’ view, etc. When you look at a daily calendar snapshot, the different types of notifications are color-coded to help you prioritize:
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Blue for meetings
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Orange for tasks
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Yellow for notes
The To-Do list can be populated either by typing in tasks, voice dictation, or a camera. 24me will transcribe the voice dictation and turn it into a task. The picture may remind you of an item you need to pick up or a place you need to be. Both ways are very convenient ways of inputting tasks into your list.
24me is also very handy for cataloguing notes of things you want to remember during the day. Think of it as a mini-Evernote function within the same app. Maybe you want to take notes of a house you’ve inspected, or things to remember about a potential investor that might seal the deal? Or maybe it’s just some personal information.
You can type in the notes, capture photos or take videos. 24Me will log the date and time the note was taken. You can also share your notes with others.
24Me will also check your contacts and social media (Facebook primarily) to see who has a birthday or anniversary coming up. You can then purchase small gifts from the 24Me gift store to send to the birthday boy or girl.
Run Your Financial Life from Your To-Do List
24Me goes above and beyond just being a calendar and To-Do List app. It can also link to your bank account and lots of company’s electronic payment systems.
The app notifies you automatically what bills are coming due, and the balances in your bank accounts. You can easily pay the bills through the app. 24Me can transfer the payment from your bank account to the payee with just a few clicks on your phone. This could come in very handy for running rental properties.
Speaking of notifications, 24Me will automatically notify you about your social media accounts. That way you don’t miss a new buyer for your buyer’s list or a renter who posts a testimonial about your excellent property management skills.
Do What You Do Best – Outsource the Rest
Real estate investors have so many tasks that need to be done. The trick is to figure out which tasks the investor needs to accomplish, and which he can outsource.
A great website for outsourcing is called Task Rabbit. If you live in an area serviced by Task Rabbit, you can make Task Rabbit requests through the ‘Errand’ section of the 24Me app.
Task Rabbit is a great place to find a handyman or to have someone take pictures of a house you might want to virtually wholesale from out of your area.
24Me has lots of great features to help a real estate investor simplify their life and accomplish a lot more in a shorter amount of time. Isn’t that the name of the game in business? The app is available for both Apple and Android devices.
Talk, Speak, Say Words
Got any questions or comments about this lesson? Say something in the comments section.
Review your To-Do List – How many of those tasks could be done by others? How many really need to get done? Don’t become overwhelmed.
Think Big – Don’t get mired in details - like paying bills - that are not making you money. Save your time and energy for transacting deals. Automate or delegate out the rest.
Start (or End) Each Day with a Task Review – The better you plan out each day, the more you will accomplish.
JP Moses
is a real estate investor in Memphis, TN, with experience ranging from land lording to note buying, rehabbing, and wholesaling. However, wholesaling is the area that he enjoys most and where he bring the most experience and expertise to his students.